Osvaldo Zotto, the younger brother of Miguel, died in Buenos Aires on Wednesday 8^th January of a suspected heart attack.  Reports are that he was found in his apartment and an autopsy was to be performed the next day, with the funeral on the 10^th.

"They [Osvaldo Zotto and Lorena Ermocida] embody all the physical beauty, the emotional maturity, the artistic sensibilities of Tango's potential in motion" Totango website.

Osvaldo Zotto was respected and loved throughout the tango world. He had danced and taught in many parts of the world, including in Australia, where he was the guest of Tangueros. 

Though he had been performing since the 1980s he  came to the notice of the tango world when he, and his wife, Mora Godoy produced a series of tango videos teaching tango. You can watch the first six of this series on TangoAustralia in our Tango Lessons pages. His marriage broke up in the 1990s and in 1997 he partnered Lorena Ermocida with whom he later produced more excellent videos. In the late 1990s the couple were invited to join Julio Iglesias on his world tour, performing as Iglesias crooned tango songs. They stayed with this show for a number of years. 

They were part of the TangoX2 company of brother Miguel for two shows, ‘Una Noche de Tango' and ‘Perfumes de Tango' which toured Italy, Germany and the USA. Osvaldo performed at the Hollywood Bowl, the Metropolitan Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall and Luna Park in Buenos Aires. He danced for the President of Egypt and the Queen of Spain. He was awarded Italy's Leonide Massine medal, named after Russian choreographer and dancer. Inaugurated in 1979 this award is given after a  gala performance that is held on the first Saturday of September to promising young dancers as well as to étoiles of international fame. Zotto was also officially recognized by UNESCO for his teaching and performance of traditional Tango.

Undoubtedly the best description of Zotto's dancing comes from dedicated tanguero and journalist Clive James on his blog www.clivejames.com. He writes about Zotto's fluency and his ability to display the essence of a beautiful tango by bringing out the "lyricism of the woman".

"An expert witness could go on for hours about the intricacies of Osvaldo Zotto's technique, yet his smoothly linked steps are never more complicated than necessary, even when he uncorks a giro that has chapter after chapter, like a little book. But his chief instrument of expression is his partner."

..."Perhaps the most expressive partner Osvaldo Zotto ever danced with...was the great Milena Plebs"

At the time of his death Osvaldo Zotto's partner was Mariela Gisel Abanzi. His passing is a great loss to the tango and dance world - and his courtesy and charm will surely be missed on milonga floors for years to come.

This article is copyright 2010 TangoAustralia and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

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